Hart 4 2026, Hills, hills and HEAT!
On Sunday, 9th August 2026, 28 FTRC runners made their way back to Minley for the Hart 4 Relay - seven teams, four hours, a 4km trail loop and just to make things interesting… temperatures nudging (if not exceeding!) 30 degrees.
For anyone new to Hart 4, the premise is fairly simple. Teams of four take it in turns to run a 4km loop, completing as many laps as they can within four hours. What perhaps isn’t immediately obvious is just how quickly your turn seems to come back around. Run your lap, recover, refuel, cheer on your teammates and before you know it… you’re back at the changeover wondering how on earth it can possibly be your turn again.
This year, FTRC arrived in force. Our seven teams - Fantastic 4k, Run Now Pints Later, 6 Boobs & A Dude, Red Arrows, Hart & Soul, Easier Said Than Run and Worst Pace Scenario – set up camp ready for an afternoon of running.
And it was HOT.
The recent sunshine had transformed the course into scorched grass and dusty trails and by the time the race got underway the temperature was heading towards 30 degrees. Within approximately five minutes, any hope of looking remotely presentable had disappeared. The sweat… SO MUCH sweat!
And then there were the hills.
Hills, hills…and more hills.
The 4km loop starts innocently enough before taking you away from the race village, across the dry grass and onto the dusty trails. There are some lovely stretches through the trees offering much needed shade from the sun, but unfortunately the trees don’t make the hills disappear. Just when you think you’ve conquered the worst of them, the course seems to find another one.
Thankfully, at around the 2km mark came one of the best sights of the day - Paul and Kathryn stationed perfectly to cheer every FTRC runner through at exactly the point we needed it most. From there it was a case of getting yourself back towards the race village, where another wall of Farnham encouragement (and the prospect of finally handing over that relay band) helped everyone find something resembling a finishing sprint.
Back at camp, recovery became something of an art form. Find shade. Drink. Sit down. Question your life choices. Repeat.
Most importantly, there were FTRC ice pops, which in 30 degree heat may genuinely have been the greatest piece of race day planning of all time.
And then, of course, there was the small matter of doing some actual running.
Across the afternoon there were some brilliant performances, with lap times ranging from Billy’s blistering 16:25 at the speedy end of proceedings to the notable achievement of being lapped twice (same team!) – proof that Hart 4 really is an event where every pace has a place, particularly when that place involves running up a massive hill in 30 degree heat.
While we ran, Phil was busy capturing the day on camera – including plenty of photographic evidence of exactly how sweaty 28 runners can become over the course of four hours.
As the afternoon went on, the whiteboard filled with lap times, the legs got heavier and the ice pops disappeared, but the encouragement never really stopped. Whether you were flying around in 16 minutes or simply willing yourself up another hill, there was always someone from our club cheering you on.
Four hours later, seven teams and a lot of very dusty legs crossed their final finish lines.
Hart 4 is undoubtedly a tough event, but it’s also a brilliant one. There is something about the relay format that makes it feel as much like a club day out as a race – running hard, recovering together, cheering each other on and then voluntarily heading back out to do it all again. Our team name “worst pace scenario” may have been almost apt, but the general feeling of the day was definitely more best race scenario.
A huge thank you to everyone who ran, supported, photographed, cheered us on and supplied the all important ice pops.
An amazing day with an amazing FTRC turnout.
Same again next year … perhaps just a few degrees cooler!
by Hannah Powell